Lecture Notes: Classical Greece

Monarchy (rule of one)

aristocracy (rule of few, rule by the best of the citizens with best intentions for the polis). Aristocracy=translates into the rule of the best

Oligarchy (rule of select few who rule for their own self-interests) Oligarchy=translates into the rule of the few. Basicallyk, a government run by the “few” or a handful of people. Not neccessarily bad

Tyranny: Rule seized by an individual usually overthrow

democracy (“rule by mob”). Democracy is not always defined as the modern world defines it, democract can also include “tyranny of the majority.”

polity (ryle of many): Could also be known as a republic form of government

Example os tryant rule: Kypselos overthrew the ruling Oligarchy in Corinth and gave more rights to people. While Kypselos was loved for this, his son Periandros replaced Kypselos and banished all dissenters from the polis

Characteristic of citizenship: Owns lands, natural-born, male, and 18 or older

Resident class: Women, children, and foreigners, had some rights

Slaves: Non citizens who weren’t and had little to no rights, either debt slaves or captured in war (chattel slaves), they were considered property and were often subject to harsh treatment.

• Political structure: Citizens had the right to participate in government decisions, while the resident class and slaves were excluded from political power, highlighting the disparities in rights among different groups.

Arkhons = “governors,” serve one-year terms

Councils= Two different councils. The first was called the Boule who wield the most power. Images are the Buletaron

The second council is the Areopagos (comprised of former Arkhons, the elite members of society). The Areapagos eventually evolve into a role similar to the Supreme Court.

The 3rd part is the Asembly: All of the citizens eligible to vote (thus excluding women). In Athens, the assembly has collective power and can vote on policies and propose policies. They were in the Pnyx, from the Greek word meaning “tightly packed together”, was the official meeting place of the Athenian democractic assembly

Ekklesia: Athenian word for “asembly”

Draco: Famous Athenian judge who reformed the Greek laws revolving arouns murder and revenge

These laws were so harsh that his name would become an adjective for harsh punishments (Draconian).

Death was a consequence for violation of many of his laws.

Solon divided the populace into 4 tribes or classes, with 100 representatives of each tribe elected as members of the Boule. The tribes (classes) are divided by wealth, and suggest the possibility of social mobility (moving between the classes). However, the reforms prove unpopular, Solon goes into exile. His exile was due to his intentionally vague laws and there were many people asking him for interperation of the laws

Tyranny of Persistratidai: Pisistratus took contro of Athens after Solon left. Solon opposed him upon his return. Pisistratus was replaced by his sons Hippias and Hipparchus who became despots.

Marginzalized groups otherthrow government as tyrants, ultimately rule as despots. The tyranny gave way to another overthrow of government, this time by the aristocracy aided by Sparta.

Leads to a power struggle which will be won by Kleisthenes.

Kleisthenes exapands the Boule to 500 members. The new Boule is comprised of 50 memebers from each of 10 tribes now 500, he did this to expand the number of rights to different classes, Kleisthenes then sent to Apollo’s oracle at Delphi the names of one hundred early Athenian heroes, and the oracle chose ten, after whom the tribes were named. Hence the term anyonomous

Ostracizm was a way to stop people from being too powerful

Athenian Democracy: the basic government instituted by Kleisthenes held for centuries in Athens

Two important basic principles:

1. No prefessional bureaucrats!! (Nobody served on council more than twice!)

2. Each citizen could hold office! What did we say a citizen is?

Spartan Society

Reformed the Great Rhetra

-Problems of helot revolt and war with Argos c.670-630

-Attributed to Kycurgus of Sparta

Remade society over time

-Spartiates

• 8,000 adult males dedicated to warfare

• Held all political and military power

-Perioikoi “The dwellers around”

• Free citizens who were not Spartan

• Non-Dorian population?

-Helots

• Owned by a Spartan state

• Assigned to a Spartiate with his kleros

Full Spartan citizens were called Spartiates or Homoioi

Residents were called Perioikoi. The “dwellers around”

Helots were slaves!

Apothetae were common in Spartan, where they would chuck babies with any deformities

The Agoge was a group of boys for those who survived, the kids were in charge of those younger than them. However, the boys weren’t nice, they were complete assholes who would just make the younger kids miserable.

While the militarized society of Sparta created a powerful military, it also had negative effects for the society at large men and women were often ketp separated, which made reproduction reates lower than in other Greeks cities. Thus, heavy losses in a Spartan battle severly weakened Sparta as a whole, women didn’t need to give themselves to men if they didn’t want to

Three reasons for Sparta’s decay

1. Low birth because of seperation of men and women

2. The Spartan military traiing system

3. Foreign invasion

Sparta was an oligarchy

Kings: Ruled by two kings with power. Kingships were hereditary

Ephors: Had to be 60 and a Spartan soldier, had more power than the kings

Gerousia: A council with 30 people, 28 old men and the two kings

Miliates: The General in charge of the Athenian of defense, he has three options, 1. Sit in Athens and wait for the Persians to arrive, 2. Send the army to meet with the Persians halfway via narrow gaps and hills to ambush them, 3. Send the Athenian army over to Right of the coast to fight the Persian army there

Persian wars

Darius 1’s son Xerxes was off a perc and was quite literally a horrible person (This mf WHIPPED THE SEA for drying out)

The Persians burn Athens for revenge, The Greek army is hidden nearby and destroys most of the Persian fleet. Xerxes must retreat to Persia for the time being, but leaves a large army behind. The Remaining Persians are degeated by the Greeks at Plataiai. The Persian commander, Mardonius was killed early in the battle

The Delian League had two purpose:

1. To protect Greece (Including grain shipment and steel shipments)

2. To protect Greece from further Persian attacks

Pericles had stolen from the Delian league to rebuilt Athens from the damage that Xerxes had done to the city during the Persian war. They didn’t steal a small amount, but LOTS and LOTS of money in order to rebuilt.

Sparta creates the Peloponnesian Leagues, while Athen is enjoying their life, the Spartans are dealing with trying to rebuilt a city because of an earthquake destroying most of the city, however. During this, there was revolts against Sparta. And to make things WORSE. Athens decides to send a little taunt towards Sparta

Peloponnesian War 6 turning points:

1. Spartans arrive and seige Athens, Athenians go behind the wall, despite it working earlier, the 3 year didn’t go well because there was a plaque that was so bad that animals died as well, Pericles had died from this plaque, leaving Athens without a leader, Cleon was a war hog but Nicius wanted peace, Nicias made a Treat of Nicias which didn’t last long (Death of Perikles)

2. Pericles’ Nephew (Alcibiades) rises to power and tries to take over Silicy, only to fail, this proves to be fatal because they lose their fleets

3. Alcibiades swims away from the arrest and gets Defection, he arrives in Sparta and he tells the Spartans how to defeat the Athenians.

4. Sparta gets an alliance with Sparta, and Persia gives them money to build ships and Persia gets access to the city states

5. Battle of Arginusae, in the battle, Athens wins but manages to lose because of the storm and they leave the survivors dead. The Athenians remove their most experiences from the military and hiring dumbasses and are put in trial (Basically hindering any chance of victory).

6. Defeat at Aegospotomi, Lysander negotiates the treaty with Persia and they build ships, This is the battle were the Sparta fleet dunks on the Athenians, giving them a crown on the waters, and the Athenians are clapped so hard they lose the battle and can’t bounce back

The Delian league is disbanded after Athens is forced into doing it, protective walls from their city leading to the sea are destroyed. And Sparta forces an oligarchy called the 30 Tyrants to rule Athens. Some of these tyrants would be former students of Socrates who would be put on trial for his teachings. They are traitors to Athens

Sparta seizes power (or hegemony) in Greece.

Results:

1. Greece returns to a multi-polar system

2. Democracy survives in Athens (Murica 🦅🦅🦅)

3. Sparta declines because its social structure is not fit for the outside world

4. PERSIA is the real one who gets the Dubs!!! (#1 Victory Royale)

Because Sparta ain’t built to lead, Greek city states don’t support the power

During the Battle of Luektra, The Thebes clapped the Spartans in battle since the Spartan army is only able to have 700 full of Spartan citizens, The Mystiquweof the Spartan warrior was broken.

After this battle ALL of Sparta’s allies abandon her. Thebes seizes hegemonic control of Greece, after that, Sparta goes RIGHT back to a regular farming village.

The power of Thebes as the ruling city of Greece is also short-lived. During this time Athens is re-emerging with proposals of more equitable power sharing than they enforced under the Delian League. In the aftermath of the Peloponnesian War, no polis asserts dominant power. The power struggles will continue until the arrival of the Macedonians in 338.

Themistokles is the Leader of the Delian League who constantly that Persia is coming, however, because of how much he says it, he gets ostracized and ends up in none other than Persia!

Triremes are Greek ships that were similar to bumper cars in a way

Hoplites: heavily armored fighters. Middle class farmers who were interested in protecting the city-state. Became the backbone for Greece military and they would often fight in formations together called phalanx

Phalanx: A linear closed formation of soldiers who slam together, the weakest soldiers would be put in the middle

Athenian Education: Men were only educated during Athens, boys 17-18 would be sent to learn literature, art, etc. Women could read and write, but it was rare and they were expected to stay at home or be entertainment

Polis: A polis was a city that would operate as an independent state in which citizens would owe their alleigance and identity.

Acropolis: inner fortress, contained treasury and was located on a fortified hill

Agora: center of public and economic activity, people come to trade, vote, attend religious ceremonies, etc.